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Synonyms

advanced

American  
[ad-vanst, -vahnst] / ædˈvænst, -ˈvɑnst /

adjective

  1. placed ahead or forward.

    with one foot advanced.

  2. ahead or far or further along in progress, complexity, knowledge, skill, etc..

    an advanced class in Spanish;

    to take a course in advanced mathematics;

    Our plans are too advanced to make the change now.

  3. pertaining to or embodying ideas, practices, attitudes, etc., taken as being more enlightened or liberal than the standardized, established, or traditional.

    advanced theories of child care;

    the more advanced members of the artistic community.

  4. far along in time.

    the advanced age of most senators.


advanced British  
/ ədˈvɑːnst /

adjective

  1. being ahead in development, knowledge, progress, etc

    advanced studies

  2. having reached a comparatively late stage

    a man of advanced age

  3. ahead of the times

    advanced views on religion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of advanced

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; advance + -ed 2

Explanation

Use the adjective advanced to describe something that's ahead, especially in terms of growth or development. Your plans to build the world's best tree house are at an advanced stage if you're nearly ready to add a roof and invite your friends to visit. Things are advanced when they happen early or are ahead of the curve or above average. Your advanced reading ability in elementary school might have had your teachers scrambling to keep you interested, and if a scientist's cancer vaccine is at an advanced stage, it's nearly ready to be tested on people. Advanced comes from the verb advance, which comes from the Old French avancier, "move forward," from a Late Latin root word, abante, "from before."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Aeralis's preference was to design and manufacture parts of its advanced trainer jet at the company's sites across the UK, before assembling the aircraft at Prestwick International Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

No announcements were also made about advanced Nvidia chips used in artificial intelligence, but analysts pointed to media reports that suggested some Chinese companies had been authorised to purchase the chips.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The IMF puts the figure at roughly 60% of jobs in advanced economies.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

While those chips are dependable, they lack the performance needed for more advanced missions.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

At fourteen, the boys advanced to the Hitlerjugend where they stayed until age eighteen.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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